Australia’s Favorite Vacation Spot

By: Keira Engler

In my time spent studying abroad in Australia, I tried to make every second count. I braved the wildlife in Royal National Park, bartered at the Glebe Markets, experienced the vibrant speakeasy scene at The Rocks, ferried to Lavender Bay, scuba dove in The Great Barrier reef, sang on the steps of the Sydney opera house, surfed at Manly Beach, hiked through the Atherton Tablelands, went to run clubs in Coogee Beach, explored the towns of Cessnock and Newcastle, and went wine tasting in Hunter Valley. But when I talked to the Aussies I realized that none of these attractions were what they did with a long weekend, and they all told me you would find them in the same place. So naturally, for my last weekend down under, I ventured to the pinnacle of Australian vacation spots, Bali. 

Our Bali trip was a whirlwind. We were picked up by our driver Norman and immediately taken to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, where the fearless monkeys stole our things and climbed all over us. An unlucky few got a very intimate experience, as the excited monkeys emptied their bladders while climbing on our group. From there we went to lunch at Tebasari Resto Bar and Lounge, an entirely bamboo building overlooking a jungle where our group of 7 got our first taste of balinese food. I got grilled vegetarian skewers, a gelato bar, and discovered the massive 620ml Bintang. Next we went to the famous rice terraces, ziplining across them and swinging out above them in dresses that billowed behind us. Stray cats roamed everywhere, and the scene was perfectly picturesque until we discovered that the heavy humidity was not all the weather we would feel today. A warm downpour began, drenching us in seconds, and lighting broke out in more distant rain clouds. We decided it was time to head to our accommodation, Kuna Backpackers in Ubud, where we could finally at least put our bags down after our flight. Needless to say we went to bed early.

Our much needed rest was cut short as 7 alarms blared at 2:15am, where we wearily climbed out of bed, put on our hiking shoes, picked up our free breakfast from the hostel, and met Norman in the van. By 3:00am we were gathered around a fire eating banana pancakes and hopping in jeeps, saying goodbye to Norman, while he went back to bed. We were handed flashlights and headlamps, setting out after our 16 year old guide up 1700 ft of elevation to summit Mount Batur in the dark. The incredibly steep climb became a race as we tried to beat the sun to the top of the volcano for one of the most famous sunrises in the world, but when we got to the top, we only found thick clouds and monkeys. Undeterred by our unexpected view at the peak, we enjoyed steamed banana sandwiches and descended down, meeting Norman by 7:30am to begin the rest of our day. We relaxed after our long morning at the Ubud Hot Springs, which were washed by the magma flow of Mount Batur, the most active volcano on the island, although the last eruption was in 2000. After enjoying coconuts and massages, we went to the Luwak Coffee Plantation in search of a caffeine boost to power us through the rest of the day's adventures. Then we headed to Bebek Tebasari Resto in Ubud where we ate lunch suspended over a koi fish pond. We returned to Kuna hostel to relax, enjoying free massages, reading by the pool, drinking fresh juice from local fruits and wandering the streets of Ubud under the twinkling lights for a bit before joining the rest of the hostel for a movie night with free popcorn. 

The next day we snorkeled with manta rays and sea turtles off the coast of Nusa Penida, a neighboring island. Then a brave three of us hiked down to the famous Kelingking beach, which is a journey I would recommend only to the most adventurous, coordinated, and athletic group. The beach at the bottom has aggressive currents and barreling waves that crash down onto white sand, after a long and perilous descent down jagged rocks in high heat and humidity. After a long day on Nusa Penida, we returned to Bali and headed to Uluwatu. In Uluwatu, we surfed at Pandang Pandang beach, which is where the famous romantic comedy Eat Pray Love was filmed. We went to dinner overlooking the cliff to see a vibrant sunset, then headed to the Hatch for salsa dancing, pool and Reggeton music. The next day, we reminisced on our Bali adventures in Kuta at Azul beach club before boarding our 6 hour flight back from paradise.

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